Hand-grenade.



H. E. ASBURY.

HAND GRENADE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 191 7.

1,288,797. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

HARRY E. ASBURY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HAND-GBEN'ADE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed June 15, 1917. Serial No. 174,891.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARIiY E. AsBUnY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented "certain Improvements in Hand-Grenades, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand grenades, and consists of certain improvements in grenades of the general type set forth in my prior applications, filed February 18, 1916, Serial Nos. 79,139 and 79,140. The object of my present invention is to provide an imroved form of releasing mechanism for the ring pin, which releasing mechanism will include a timing element that will preclude the necessity of having a time fuse. My invention includes novel means for releasing the time controlled mechanism normally retaining the firing pin inactive.

These and other features of my invention are more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a sectional elevation on the line II, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2, is a sectional plan view on the line IIII, Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3, is a sectional plan view on the line IIIIII.

In the drawings, 1 represents the shell of a hand grenade of suitable size and weight, which may be made of cast metal. iron or steel, as may be desired, which shell is preferably scored or grooved externally, as indicated at 2 and 3, in the several views, so that upon bursting, due to explosion of any contained charge, the shell will be separated into a large mass of fragments. This shell is preferably provided with a loading opening 4, normally closed by a screw plug 5, disposed at any convenient point, but preferably,

about the middle of the shell and at a point opposite the detonating cap, as hereinafter described.

Within the shell a casing 6 is mounted, having a chamber 7 for the reception of a firing pin 8, to which motion may be transmitted by a coiled spring 9 when the firing pin is released; such spring being normally compressed and retained between a fixed art of the grenade and a shoulder 10 on the Ering pin by means hereinafter described.

Within the shell, shoulders 12 and 13, are provided at opposite ends of the same, and in engagement with these shoulders are plates 14 and 15. The plate 14 may be confined to\the casing 6 by displacing the metal of the latter with respect to said plate 14, while the plate 15 has its central portion dished at 16, and may be held to said casing 6 by means of a collar'17 threaded into said casing at 18 and having a shoulder 19 hearing upon the dished portion of said plate 15. The casing 6 thus held is disposed subsplarliltially centrally with respect to the main s e The ends of the shell are internally threaded and are closed by screw plugs 20 and 21. Interposed between the cap 20 and the plate 14 is a block 22, to which a detonating cap 24 is secured, and preferably formed integral with said block is an anvil portion 25 extending intothe chamber of the casing and receiving a primary cap 27 disposed above a powder pellet 26, of usual type, fitting a recess 28 in said block. The recess receiving said powder pellet communicates with a passage 29 leading to the open end of the detonating cap 24;

In order to position the block 22, the plate 14 is preferably provided with a guiding pin 31, and the block is apertured at 32 for the reception thereof.

The plug 21 at the opposite end of the shell, which is threaded into the same and contacts with the plate 15, is provided centrally with a movable member 35, normall arranged with other means to be describe to control means for holding the firing pin 8 in the inactive position, such position being inward with respect to the cap 21, and held in place by a safety device in the form of a pin 39 having a head 40 engaging the grooved flange 41 of said member 35 against the action of a spring 42 tending to withdraw said safety pin. Prior to use, the safety pin is retained in position by a cotter pin 43, which may engage the shouldered head 40 in the manner indicated in the draw ings.

For the purpose of holding the firing pin 8 out of action. balls 45, which may be'of the usual anti-friction type common to ball bearings, are interposed between a rounded groove 46 formed on the firing pin and a movable inclosing wall 47.

Interposed between the closing cap 21 and the inclosing wall 47 is suitable clock-work mechanism 48, geared to rotate a screw 49, upon which the inclosing wall '47, which performs the function of a nut, is mounted. This wall may he notched or grooved at 50 to accommodate the winding stem 51 of the clock-work mechanism, and it Wlll be understood that when movement of said clockwork mechanism actuatesthe screw 49, the

inclosing wall or nut will be moved away from the balls; thereby releasing the firing pin.

An escapement lever 52. which controls the action of the clock-work mechanism is held in the inactive position bv a forked spur or projection 53 carried at the side of the movable member 35, and as long as said member 35 is in the position indicated in .Fig. 1 with the safetypin 39 in place, and

the clock-work mechanism at rest, the firing pin 8 will be held in the inactive position. The safety pin 39 may be released by re moving the cotterpin 43, and then by slightly depressing the movable member 35, so as to disengage its flange from the safety pin which moves away under the action of the spring 41, the grenade is ready to be fired, and upon the release of the finger from the'member 35 in the act of throwing the grenade, said plug will be forced outwardly by a spring 55 adapted to an internal recess 56 of the same and held' between the same and the end of said firing pin, thereby re leasing the escapement lever 52. This action causes the clock-work mechanism to turn the screw49 and raise the inclosing or retaining wall 47 for the balls holding the firing pin inactive so that the sprin 9 can come into action; the balls being thrown to one side and the firing pin being forced into contact with the primary cap 27 which ignites the powder pellet to provide a flame that will ignite the detonating cap in the usual manner to explode the charge. The timing of the explosion may be regulated by the pitch of the screw 49 in engagement with the nut or retaining wall 47, or the number of threads. I

The relation of the projection carried by the member 35 and the escapement lever 52, is such that its operative connection will not be afi'ected by any movement of said member prior to hurling the grenade. As soon as the cscapement lever is released by outward movement of said member 35, however, the clock train is released and the screw 49 is turned to raise the nut 47 out of ball-retaining position.

Within the chamber of the shell of the grenade, the explosive material is placed, and this may be in the form of a sOlid block of explosive material. as indicated in my companion application, or in auv other suit-- able form.

Any suitable explosive material may be employed, and with the explosive material I propose to introduce slugs, balls. shells or other suitable material in'order that addi* tional missiles may be provided upon the explosion of the grenade.

I'claim:

1. In a hand grenade, the combination of a'shell, hollow closures for the ends of the same, diaphragms within the shell and sepa-' rating an interior chamber of the same from the chambers within said closures, a removable block inclosed and held in place by one of said closures, said block having an anvil for a primary cap, a detonating cap carried by said block, a firing pin having a grooved head, means including a series of movable members in engagement with said head and retaining means therefor for holding said pin in the inactive position, and time-con trolled mechanism for releasing said firing pin retaining means.

2. In a hand grenade, the combination of a shell having threaded ends, hollow threaded plugs for closing said ends, diaphragms within the shell separating an inner chamber of the same from the chambers within said plugs, a removable block held in place by one of said plugs, said block having an anvil for a primary cap, a detonating cap carried by said block, a firing pin having a grooved head, means retaining said pin in place including a nut embracing the top of the firing pin, and time-controlled mechanism for releasing said nut from the firing pin.

3. In a hand grenade, the combination of a shell, threaded plugs closing said ends, diaphragms within the shell separating the interior of the same from chambers within sald plugs, a tubular casing connecting said diaphragms, a removable block held in place by one of said plugs, said block having an anvil disposed within said casing for a primary cap, a detonating cap carried by said block; the latter. having a flame passage with a powder'pellet between the primary cap and the detonating cap, a firing pin having a grooved head, balls adapted to said head, an annular wall retaining said balls in position,

and time-controlled mechanism for raising said retaining wall to release the firing pin.

4. In a hand grenade, the combination of a shell, threaded. plugs closing said ends, diaphragms within the shell separating an inner chamber of the same from chambers within said plugs, a removable block held in place by one of said plugs, said block having an anvil for a primary cap, a detonating cap carried by said block. a firing pin having a grooved head, balls adapted to said head, an annular wall retaining said balls in position and forming a nut, a screw engaging said nut, and time-controlled mechanism for actuating said screw to raise said retaining wall and release the firing pin.

5. In a hand grenade. the combination of a shell having threaded ends, threaded plugs closing said ends. diaphragms within the shell separating the interior of the same from chambers within said plugs, a removable bloek held in place by one of said plugs,

movable member to release the escapement lever of the time-controlled operating mechanism upon releasing sa1d locking means.

*6. In a hand grenade, the combination of a shell having plugs closing the ends of the same, mechanism including a firing pin having a ooved' head within the shell, balls adapted to said head, an annular wall forming a nut and retaining said balls in position, time-controlled mechanism for effecting movement of said retaining wall including a screw in engagement therewith, an escapelnent lever for said time-controlled mechanism, a movable member at the end of the grenade in engagement with said escapement lever, locking means for sa1d movable member, and a spring for pro ect1ng sa1d movable member to release the escapement lever of the time-controlled operating mechanism upon releasing the locking means.

HARRY E. ASBURY. 

